A Piece of Your Heart
by blooming Ednae
Summary: [Modern AU] "Honestly, no," Zelda finally replied to her friend. "I wouldn't say I hate him. He's a good friend, a great person, and just has an amazing personality overall. I just don't want to add reason behind my father's expectations." Midna smirked. "But is that what you really want?" Or, alternatively, being a princess in denial has its paybacks.
1. Chapter 1

It's been some time since I've written anything LOZ-related, but playing Breath of the Wild gave me those reminiscent Zelda emotions again that I had to write something for the holidays.

It first started as a "I want to write holiday, modern AU denial ZeLink" but ended up spanning 4 chapter and ended up being a late holiday fic oops.

In any case, this is a multi-verse, modern AU Zelda fic, so expect mentionings of various characters spanning multiple games!

Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda.

* * *

"Yes, for the final time, father, I am coming tomorrow. I don't understand why you're so worried that I won't attend our own Holiday party."

Zelda placed her cellphone on her shoulder and pressed it against her ear, shuffling through her purse as she did so. From her peripheral vision, she could see Midna smirking from her desk chair, legs crossed, and - was that her headband she was wearing? - eyes narrowing, as if mocking her with sarcasm. Zelda glanced up in her direction and rolled her eyes, causing Midna to chuckle with amusement.

She finally fished out the small notebook and pen she was looking for in her purse, hurriedly opening the pages and preparing to write. "Yes, okay, like I've said, finals are done, I got the day off tomorrow, so I can attend. Now, what was the number of the bakery you wanted me to call for pick up tomorrow?"

She began jotting the numbers down quickly with a sense of professionalism in her penmanship, nodding as soon as she was finished. Sighing, she shifted the phone to her other ear still listening to her father's words.

"Don't worry, I can drive there in time, so - what? No, I don't need a ri - wait, you what?!"

Midna perked up from the sound of urgency in Zelda's voice, only to see her covering her face with her palm, shaking her head.

"Father, I can very well drive on my own! You know Link lives on the other side of town and I'm completely out of the way!"

Zelda could've sworn she heard the Twili girl snort and without turning around, she threw her notebook at her back with perfect precision. It still didn't dampen Midna's spirits, however, who began to cackle at this point.

Zelda sighed, exasperated. "I'll be there, okay? And now I'm going to go because I have a couple of things to finish up before leaving, goodbye." With a swift (and emphasized) push of her cell phone button, Zelda dropped her phone on her bed and proceeded to fall face forward on to the plush comforter.

There was a bit of silence before Midna decided to speak up, venturing to challenge her friend. "So...good ol' parental deciding to butt in, hm?"

A muffled sound came from the comforter from which Zelda laid upon and Midna just quirked her brow. She sighed and grabbed a pencil off of the desk and threw it towards her.

"Hey, princess. You know it was bound to happen either way, right?"

Zelda finally turned her head and looked toward her friend, glaring. "You seem to be enjoying this."

Midna smirked, shifting her crossed legs and shrugged. "I'd like to say 'entertained', is the correct word."

Zelda pouted. "So you really can't come tomorrow, huh?"

She earned a sigh of defeat as Midna began to stand up from the desk, shaking her head. "Gotta go home to Twili and visit the family...ugh. Sickens me."

"But why?" Zelda eyed her. "Twili doesn't even celebrate the holidays that much."

Midna rolled her eyes. "But apparently I'm wanting to be 'seen' again. Whatever. It's once a year." She sighed and shook her head. "It's twice as boring there than here and I'd rather sacrifice my sanity of the insane bright lights of Castle Town just to see your terrible sit-con life."

Zelda grimaced. "Thanks for the support."

Midna grinned. "You're the one that just asked if I could come with you tomorrow. I'm sure Malon or Mipha would've loved to go with you instead of me; I can't stand social events, you know that."

Zelda turned over and faced the ceiling, sighing. "Yeah, but Malon went back to the ranch and Mipha went back to Zora's Domain for the holidays."

She felt the bed suddenly give way, realizing Midna sat on the edge of it.

"Heh, well you are the only one from Castle Town. None of us are from here, you know."

Zelda narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, but you all work here; except Mipha, I know she's done with school next year."

Midna hummed. "Don't remind me, that means the rent is going to go up after she's done."

Zelda huffed. "You guys only pay for groceries and utilities, since the rent is covered by my family themselves." She was silent for a moment before continuing. "Or have you forgotten that much even the under cover guards guarding this housing unit as we speak are actually starting to look like passerbys to you now?"

Midna rolled her eyes. "Of course I know this place is guarded and paid by your family; I'm just saying that the process of having another person live with us is going to take ages since it only took me so long to be able to live in the same house as you."

Zelda shook her head. "Interviews by the council were required to pass judgement if you were allowed to be with me." She sighed. "In any case, I'm sure you're just concerned that Mipha is leaving."

Midna just shook her head and groaned, obviously cringing from Zelda's observation. "Darling, if I said everything that came to mind, I wouldn't be a true Twili, now would I?"

Zelda smiled and laughed. She knew Midna had a hard personality, but her rewarding traits definitely outweighed what she portrayed. Midna cared for all of them in the house, but knew she had an especially soft spot for the small Zora; of course, she hid it with all the teasing and banter that the poor girl could keep up with.

Zelda shook head. "Well, it can't be helped. Her and Sidon have to look after their father's company anyway."

There was a small silence between them before Midna finally stood up from the bed and stretched. "Well, that's enough about that, because I think someone has to get ready for tomorrow."

Midna earned a low groan from Zelda, who draped her arm over her eyes trying not to remember the following day. "Honestly, the party wouldn't be so bad if father could just stop implying things."

She lifted her arm up and propped herself to sit on her bed, facing Midna. "And it's only gotten worse in recent years, you know that."

Midna shrugged. "Isn't that one girl coming, though, ugh, what was her name...Link's cousin or something."

Zelda shook her head. "You mean Marin? They're not cousins, her family is just really close family friends with his and mine." She shook her head. "You know very well Marin also keeps pushing this on me...but I admit she's more supportive, in an odd sense."

And it was true. Though Marin was seven years older than both of them, she acted more as an older sister to both her and Link, always supportive and there for the both of them no matter what. She only meant well, and Zelda genuinely enjoyed her company.

Midna waved her hand off. "There you go, you got her then. You don't need any of us to go with you."

Zelda began to respond, when Midna immediately interjected. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I can't believe I'm about to do Malon's job right now and pester you, but, look, let me be frank and very uncharacteristic of me: do you honestly hate Link that much?"

Zelda froze for a moment with the honest question, eyes slightly widening. True, she hadn't been preferring Link over the past two years, mostly because her father just kept _implying_ things between them. But between graduate school, work, and distance, the two of them haven't kept up communication as much as they used to. She understood why her father kept pushing her towards him; they've been long-time childhood friends, but besides that, Link had grown up to earn himself a higher degree, a good paying job, and a stable life; everything that fit for her father's expectations.

And honestly, she _hated it so much_.

She already felt the pressure of having to take over Hyrule eventually one day. There were no rules about courtship between classes since that had been long overruled and it was _clearly_ modern days where classes never really mattered much anymore; instead, a background standing and good presentation of self conquered all. She had walked in her father's expectations for years, and for once, she wanted to not go by his recommendation and live her own life with her own choices.

So she tried her best to avoid Link; she had kept messages to a minimum, avoiding phone calls as necessary from him. Of course, to begin with, it wasn't very much since Zelda knew just how much of a social butterfly he was (not at all). Between them, she talked nonstop and he was a quiet listener and a silent supporter all her life.

It was a little hard, at first. Link was her only childhood friend and someone who knew her worst and best traits and not texting him about every little thing was difficult. But the business of school and work kept her mind off of him. A little part of her was guilty, sure; but she honestly did not want to give her father any more reason to add fuel to the flame where any existed to begin with.

Wait. Existence of something between her and Link?

She shook her head. Friendship. Yes, friendship. Nothing any further than that.

In any case, she couldn't see herself with...Link.

The mere thought of that had her stomach give a plummeting, sad feeling for some odd reason and she shook her head. Yes, he'd find someone definitely more suitable than herself.

"Honestly, no," Zelda finally replied to her friend, who had crossed her arms and was waning patience from her answer. "I wouldn't say I hate him. He's a good friend, a great person, and just has an amazing personality overall. I just don't want to add reason behind my father's expectations."

Midna hummed, and turned her back on Zelda, heading for the door. Just before exiting, though, she turned around and quirked her eyebrow at her, a smirk starting to form on her lips.

"But is that what you really want?"

Zelda was taken aback for a moment, which caused Midna to laugh. She opened the door to exit the room, waving her off as she did so.

"I'll see you in a week. I'm sure you'll be a changed woman after this."

Before she could protest, the door closed and Zelda was left to sit on her bed and ponder. Not too long after, she heard the front door open and close, signaling Midna's departure. Despite the late hour, she knew her friend would rather drive in the dark.

But to her, that was the least of her concerns. The question was left hanging over her head, even as she laid back on to her covers, quickly falling asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda.

* * *

She had told herself when she woke up that morning that she was a strong, independent woman who could stand up on her own.

So as she sat in the passenger side of Link's car, cake box on her lap, and slightly sulking, she began to pout and mentally berate herself for caving into Link's offer of coming to pick her up.

In hindsight, she honestly did miss him as her friend. She couldn't even remember the last time she had texted him because the first sight of him as she opened the door earlier was enough to send her head reeling with questions, the main one being: _when did he begin to look so good?_

To be fair, she already knew he was an attractive male as it was; sharp jawline with softened edges; earnest blue eyes that were always calm and collected; sandy, ash blonde hair with an organized chaotic mess of bangs; and one piercing on his left ear that often had a simple blue earring. It was the one earring, in Zelda's opinion, that gave Link the most character; it gave away how actually daring and mischievous he was, despite his quiet personality.

She shook her head, these thoughts filling her mind. _Stop it, Zelda. This isn't becoming of you._

"You okay?"

The question knocked her out of her mind completely and she visibly jumped, causing Link to chuckle.

"I know we haven't talked in awhile, but surely the distance hasn't really changed anything?"

She shook her head and abruptly answered. "No, of course not." Zelda at once caught herself, realizing she sounded more snappy than intended. "I've just..." When no excuse came to mind, she finally sighed, and rubbed her temples.

"I'm so sorry."

Zelda breathed out her apology, her words meaning more than what it actually sounded. Link, however, just raised an eyebrow, not catching the implication behind the apology, the years of cut-off between them.

"Why so glum, suddenly? No need to apologize, I know law school is definitely not a walk in the park." He turned on his blinker as he rolled into a stop at the stop light, slightly laughing as the car pulled into a stop. "I'll admit, my work has been getting swamped too."

Zelda side glanced him for a split second and she suddenly realized that Link has well-passed his ten-word limit and actually spoke... _a lot_ more than he used to. Did she really separate their conversations that much that he ended up developing more than she thought?

Inhaling slowly, she replied. "I would assume so. Being in the business world isn't exactly something you could just stroll about. You've been traveling between Death Mountain and Zora's Domain in recent months, haven't you?"

Link lightly chuckled. "So you have heard." Zelda rolled her eyes in reply, waving him off.

"Of course I know, Link. You only work with one of the largest companies in Hyrule and I keep up with my news everyday, thank you."

He shook his head in playful delight. "With all good intentions, I would only expect so much from you, Zelda."

As soon as his words left his lips, Zelda caught the quick glance he gave her, and she couldn't help but feel that he wanted to elaborate more on that sentence, but chose not to.

Instead, she shifted more comfortably into the passenger seat and disregarded it, not wanting to read too much between the lines. As she touched the plush interior of his car, she smiled lightly.

"No motorcycle today, huh?"

Link waved at the environment around them, the road covered in a moderate amount of snow and she laughed at his reaction.

"Really, Zelda? It's snowing in all of Castle Town right now and I can't afford to take Epona out in this cold."

Zelda groaned and face palmed at his response. "I still cannot _believe_ you named your motorcycle after the Hero of Time's horse. A _horse_ , out of all things."

"Hey, hey," Link immediately interjected, his face expression filled with feigned hurt at her response, "If I'm named after the Hero, I think it's only appropriate that I name my trusty motorcycle after his trusty steed."

"And I should be the goddess Hylia's human incarnate, is that right?" she retorted sarcastically in response.

The car rolled into a stop at a stoplight and they both took this opportunity to glare at each other, only to break into a fit of laughter after Zelda could no longer hold a serious gaze. She began to laughed uncontrollably at Link's serious facial expression, but realized her heart felt much warmer when he began to show the soft smile he so often hid from the world except between the two of them.

It made her realize how much she missed her best friend.

For a moment, they both locked eyes once more, but this time in silence. Link's gaze was unreadable to her; all she saw was an ocean of blue, filled with a calm and serenity she had come to know, but not fully decipher until then. His mouth twitched as if he wanted to say something, but only a small breath was released, as if he was in awe.

Awestruck? Of her? _Oh goddesses, no,_ she thought to herself.

A loud blaring horn sounded from behind them as Link suddenly realized he kept his eyes off the stoplight for too long, the light having turned green some seconds ago. He cleared his throat and accelerated forward and exhaled slowly. Zelda noticed his grip on the wheel had tightened a bit, and suddenly, the silence that she knew as him filled the car and for the rest of the ride to her home.

* * *

When they pulled up to the massive, two-story mansion, the guards outside merely bowed and let them through without a moment's hesitation; they had long known Link's car and were well informed of Zelda's arrival with him.

 _As if they weren't expecting it already,_ Zelda thought dreadfully to herself.

They pulled into the driveway, parking among the other rows of cars that already arrived. Zelda was glad that they always used their smaller, vacation-like home for parties for family and close friends; the castle was just too large and lonely sometimes in her own opinion. She had Bolson's Company to thank for the suggestion of a small mansion for these kinds of parties.

As soon as Link parked the car, a knock was heard on Zelda's passenger side door and was opened slowly by a guard standing outside, fully anticipating her arrival. She swung her legs out to the side, carrying the cake box in hand which the guard took right away while also bowing to her.

"Welcome home, princess. We've been anticipating your arrival." He flashed her a quick smile and a nod, showing enthusiasm in his manners.

Zelda shook her head and laughed a bit at him, eyes sparkling. "Oh, Pipit, I told you that you don't have to be so formal with me. It's just so weird for my former high school classmate to talk to me like this."

Pipit laughed in return. "Just following protocol, you know; and hey, I respect you a whole lot!"

"She's too stubborn, you know that."

Link came up from around his car and he gave a quick pat on the back to Pipit, who smiled at him. "It's been awhile, friend."

Pipit chuckled. "You can say that again. You two are so grown up and on your own, it almost saddens me that I don't see you guys that often anymore!"

"Oh trust me," Zelda interjected quickly, "you'll be seeing me again after my schooling is done."

Link shook his head at Pipit. "And that's when you should be getting scared."

He earned a playful hit on his shoulder from Zelda and the two men laughed at her reaction. She could only pout until Link offered his arm to her, motioning towards inside her home.

"Shall we?"

Normally she would've been more than happy to link arms with him. But she felt herself hesitate for a moment, wavering between her father's expectations and her own desires to break away from the norm, and she saw Pipit look confused for a moment. Quickly glancing up at Link and back to his arm, she sighed.

She decided to let her father win this one this time around, as she gladly hooked her arm around Link's while walking to the front door.

She could have sworn she heard snickering from Pipit behind her and she whipped her head around to glare at the knight. His eyes, however, had averted towards extreme attention in the mansion's second floor windows, a light song whistling through his lips as he stared. She kicked back some snow in his direction as revenge, laughter emitting from him as he followed the two behind.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda.

* * *

The party was nearly in full swing by the time they both entered the home. As Pipit ran ahead to open the door for the both of them, they were both met with a heavy wave of warmth mixed with the mixed scents of sweet spices and gourmet food, waiting to be eaten. The arrival of the two of them caused many of the party goers to pause their conversations and smile fully as they both entered, patting down the snow that had accumulated on their clothes during their short walk.

Zelda almost immediately unhooked her arm with Link who didn't seem to notice her urgency. She thought she was in the safe zone until she looked up to see Marin across the room, smiling softly at her. Zelda internally cringed, realizing that if she saw it across the room, there was no guarantee that no one else saw it.

Now, two hours in, one meal down, and a couple of drinks later, she sat near the massive tree of the home, glancing at all the individuals who attended. She had made her rounds to all the guests as per usual, and she was thankful that most of the guests for these kinds parties were usually ones she absolutely loved and adored. Among them were Sheik, her combat teacher who taught her how to use a bow and arrow as well as other self-defense skills; Ezlo, a small Piccori man who often taught her in-depth about the lore of Hyrule and was usually the one to cheer her up after a long day of socializing; and her long-time social etiquette and governing law teacher and future advisor Impa, who currently stood in the corner talking with Link...which she found suspicious, because, like Link, Impa was a woman of few words, but often spoke when she had a strong reason to speaking her mind.

It worried Zelda somewhat, but that was Link's problem to deal with, she figured.

Others attended the party such as her father's friends which she was grateful, such as Rauru, her father's advisor. He often was an uncle she never had, always encouraging her and giving her words of wisdom, much like Ezlo did. Rauru portrayed his words in a less theatrical manner than Ezlo, she realized, but both men were always there for her in her times of need and times when she needed to get away from her father's sight.

Her father. Zelda glanced to where he was currently, socializing with the many others that attended and she sighed. In all honesty, she didn't dislike her father; in fact, she admired so very much and loved him with all her heart. Ever since being young, she knew the pressure of being a princess would be rough and her father's comments would often be for her own good.

However, it was only in the recent few years where she noticed he began to become extremely strict in what she did, and granted, she could see why; she was nearing the end of graduate school and had a country to rule soon. On top of that, she had no significant other to turn to which, she assumed to her father's worry, no heir to carry on their bloodline.

Her father knew her more than anyone else and while he admired Zelda for her independence and strong will, she knew that it also concerned him at the same time. Impa once told her that her father expressed his delight and pride at seeing how Zelda presented herself in graduate school and work; he had no qualms about her communication skills and knew it would only develop even greater with time once she would take the throne in the future.

However, Impa did add that was also his worry; there was no significant other in sight. Thus, started his strict upbringing, aka, more social parties than she could count in the past three years. It had been hard juggling work, school, and of course keeping her status as princess to every one connected to Hyrule.

She knew her father's ploy of finding a suitable individual for her, but in the end, she knew it was Link that won his favor the most out of all the men out there. She half-debated on dating one of the other people out there, but after going through her options, she decided against it. Ralph was too pompous for her own taste; Vaati had an odd way of being skiddish on some topics and she later learned that he was in opposition to Ezlo anyway; and Ghirihim was much too theatrical for anyone's good. In any case, she figured that if dating one of these guys turned out to be bad, it would look bad on her and her father, the last thing she wanted for the both of them.

Avoiding Link was the best thing she could devise. But, after her car ride with him earlier, she began to have doubts about what she had been doing and missed his honest, constant company these past three years she kept this up. She glanced across the room to where he was speaking with Impa (more like listening to her) as he nodded in absolute attention, features serious and resolute. _Anyone talking to Impa would be like that,_ she concluded. Something still nagged at her seeing the two converse so she just averted her eyes and took a sip of her wine, a Kokiri brand that she knew Link preferred. She squinted her eyes once more into an unfocused space, yet again cringing at how much she knew about his likes and dislikes. She sighed once more as she swirled the wine within her glass, watching the liquid flow about.

"That sounded like a big one."

Zelda looked up in surprise only to see Marin taking the seat next to her, lightly chuckling. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

Zelda shook her head and took one glance at Marin. Despite it being the colder season, the older woman still had a fresh red flower adorning her hair, a small tropical aesthetic she almost always had no matter where she went. Zelda found it beautiful as it was always a key part of Marin's personality.

"No, not at all," Zelda replied. "I was just deep in thought, is all." She nodded up towards the flower. "That's beautiful, by the way."

Marin smiled warmly. "A poinsettia, to match the holiday season. It typically looks like just a leaf, but I tried my best to arrange it to make it look like a flower." She tucked her hair behind one ear and chuckled lightly. "I can't let go of my island origins, after all."

Zelda nodded in understanding. She was well aware of how far away Koholint Island was; it was a definite move for Marin to move to the large city. "Do you miss it?"

Marin glanced at her. "Koholint? Oh, of course, by all means." She closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them again, eyes in contemplation. "I miss waking up every day next to the beach without a care in the world and living a carefree life with my grandfather."

"But," she continued, "I made a wish and a promise to myself to one day make people smile at the sound of music as it did for me when I was a kid, so when the opportunity came, I took it as fast as I could."

"I'm not always lonely though," Marin concluded. "I often see Koholint in my dreams and it's enough to carry me through each day." She smiled at Zelda. "And seeing you two grow up was enough to keep me going throughout everything else."

Zelda smiled in return to the older girl. Despite being older, Zelda was well aware of all the hardships Marin had to get through to get to where she was currently. As a famous musician now, she often was on tour or performing locally within the city, either on her harp or through vocals. To perform full time as a musician within a competitive city as Castle Town, Zelda could only imagine that half the struggles Marin went through were often unsaid and most likely written within her music. She remembered as a child how much they learned music lessons from her; both herself and Link learned how to play the harp at a young age and both still continue to pursue it on their own time when they could.

Zelda smiled. "You know, I still play the harp every once in awhile."

Marin nodded. "I'm so glad to hear that! Link just told me the same thing last week as he couldn't remember a note in a very common song."

Zelda stared at Marin. "He called you to ask about a note in a music piece? Since when did he become so in tune with his music recently?" She shook her head. "I know he plays the piano, ocarina, and guitar on his spare time but since when does he ever just casually pull out the harp, especially with his roommates around?"

Zelda internally cringed again as she asked her questions. Leave it to Link to literally learn every instrument out there, way pass her level of expertise. _And_ have a well-paying job before she was even done with school. _Ugh_ , she thought, irritated.

Marin laughed. "I'm sure you know by now that Link often plays his instruments when he's stressed with something. His coping mechanism, I guess you could call it."

"But you know," she continued, "I know he hasn't played the harp in a very long time and he decided to play it the other week. Though..." Marin trailed off and glanced at Zelda, who looked back at her quizically.

"...what?" Zelda asked, hesitatingly.

Marin shook her head. "You wouldn't happen to know what's going through his mind lately, would you?" She tapped her cheek in contemplative thought.

"Me?" Zelda asked confused. "Why would you ask me?"

Marin tapped her cheek in contemplative thought. "Because he asked me a question on a note from the 'Ballad of the Goddesses' piece you love so much."

Hearing this, Zelda felt her stomach drop and suddenly she felt the blood from her face drain.

"Why...would he be playing that suddenly?"

Marin looked at Zelda and gave a small smile, in an attempt to appease her feelings of fear. "Zelda...it may be time for you to start asking him some questions."

"He's been worried, for one," Marin started, "about you. I don't know the details but..."

Zelda groaned as she realized Link must have mentioned that she stopped texting him a lot less in recent years. Link was a man of few words, but when something really bugged him, it didn't stop him from talking to those closest to him about a some of his worries; even if they weren't the full story. In this case, he would've talked to her if she wasn't being distant with him so naturally, Marin was his next choice since he knew that Marin knew Zelda much more than his roommates did.

"But..." the sound of Marin's voice continuing shook Zelda out of her thoughts, "he sounded very concerned. Well, hm," Marin thought. "More...sad? Left out, in a way."

Zelda just stared at Marin, trying not to read into her words. She knew she purposely had been driving Link out of her life, but now she began to doubt if her intentions were really for the best.

Marin sighed and shook her head as she stared at Zelda's awestruck facial expression. With a gentle smile, she placed her hand on top of Zelda's.

"...I'm not supposed to tell you this; just don't tell Link you know, but..."

Marin eyed Link from across the room, who was now talking back to Impa with passionate fervor, Impa nodding in return with a stern expression on her face.

"You inspired him."

Zelda tilted her head to the side a bit in confusion, not understanding the context behind Marin's words. She continued, still smiling.

"Where he's at right now, he's worked so hard to get to where he is because he was inspired by how much you worked. He wanted to prove to you that he too can work just as hard and be able to stay on your level so he could keep talking to you."

She looked back to Zelda, a soft sadness behind her eyes. "He's worried of falling behind, in concerns with you rising up so fast that you'll one day forget about him."

"You see," Marin continued, "he knows that one day you'll be at the top. You have a country to rule some day and he understands that and he'll let you do what you need to do. But I think a bigger part of him is not losing you as Zelda, the princess of Hyrule, but Zelda, his childhood friend and confidante, and being forgotten eventually."

Her hand resting on Zelda's hand grasped the hand a little tighter. "He doesn't talk much, but I'm sure losing a connection to you is his biggest fear...which I believe is one of the reasons why he's taken up business traveling as his job."

When Zelda said nothing in response, Marin smiled a bit more. "Do you remember the song I usually sing?"

Zelda's eyes perked up at this question and she nodded. "Yes, 'Ballad of the Wind Fish'. It's the song that led you to become such a renowned musician today; I wouldn't think of anyone who wouldn't know it."

Marin laughed and she shook her head. "Oh Zelda, you flatter me too much." Her eyes grew a bit distant once her laughter died down and she nodded. "Every time I sing that song, I have warm memories of Koholint Island fill my mind and I'm taken back to the warm weather, the sand, the beautiful breeze that lifts up the seagulls in the sky, and a bittersweet longing and farewell from that place."

"In fact, most of the songs I sing and play on my instruments are remnants of places or contexts I associate it with. And," Marin concluded, "much how I do that, Link does the same, I noticed. He tends to play music based on contexts which remind of him of something familiar should he feel somehow far from it. But once the one thing he's close to begins to cause him pain...he has an odd way of hanging on to it from a distance, and going as far away as he could."

Marin felt Zelda visibly startle a bit after that comment, and she gave a warm smile. "...Link is an interesting character, don't you think?"

She couldn't tell what Marin meant by that sentence, but before she could ask, Marin was whisked away by another guest, who wished to speak with her, leaving her alone to her thoughts after everything that Marin shared.

Inspired by her? Playing songs that he associated to the context he missed the most?

The car ride suddenly began to flash in her head, and she remembered his expression after his one comment.

 _So you have heard. With all good intentions, I would only expect so much from you, Zelda._

Marin's comment about him traveling now. The music association. Forgetting him.

Zelda stood up in a hurry, her head reeling with all the thoughts and emotions built up from a tension of two years and she walked past the dining room filled with individuals, some curiously staring at her as she rushed outside into the patio to get some air, despite the snow outside.

She hurriedly slid the sliding door open and closed it quickly, walking past the pillars and leaning against one of them, panting hard. Her head was pounding as she felt the realization of what two years of distance did to the both of them.

Not only did it create a distance between the both of them, but it made their bond even stronger than it was when they were together.

The way he smiled at her. The way he talked more now, how he kept up his musical side, how he keeps trying to raise himself in status. How he intended to leave Hyrule multiple times in an effort to show her that he was busy and that he was trying his best to _not_ return to her which caused him more pain than relief.

When he smiled at her, she felt it; the butterflies, the odd, uneasy, yet relieving feeling of being with him. How the warmth of his arm hooked around hers lingered despite the cold of the snow. How bittersweet she felt when she heard his name pop up periodically in the business news. How they both joked around with effortless ease in the car, making her _actually miss him_ more than she intended.

And the plummeting feeling in her stomach came back with full force, a weight of realization, guilt, and fear mixing together like a disjointed cacophony of music, loud and disorganized in her ears. She felt her denial waning slowly, shedding light to what she really knew what the plain truth was all along.

When she had fallen in love with Link, she had no idea, but it was clear now why she felt those feelings within her.

When he had fallen in love with her, she had no idea, and for all she knew, she could just be assuming, but all the signs were _there_ before her eyes no matter how much she tried to deny it.

She was too sharp for her own good, she knew. He knew, for crying out loud, how she caught on to things fast; he _expected_ it from her, as he noted during the car ride.

And in his own quiet way, he distanced himself from her knowing all too well that she'd pick up on it and figure out what he really implied.

She placed a palm on her forehead, inhaling and exhaling deeply. Leave it to Link to be so frustratingly silent about his own feelings that he always put her duties above his own. He was understanding about her destiny and future, but sometimes a little too understanding to a point that it undermines his own personal feelings.

It was upsettingly sad that he always put her goals above his own.

The sound of shuffling snow woke her from her thoughts, and she hadn't thought twice about someone else being outside in the patio with her, especially with the snow falling about. Startled, she quickly lowered her arm and her eyes quickly scanned the area, only to widen even more to see her outside companion.

Snow had fallen all over his graying hair, making him look a lot older than he already was beginning to look, and he chuckled as he saw her from afar, snow dusting off his shoulders as he did so.

"Does the snow make me look so old of a king that I'm no longer recognizable by you anymore?"

He took a couple of steps forward towards her and joined her underneath the awning, away from the snow and next to her. As he came closer, he noticed the panicked expression in his daughter's eyes and flashed a look of concern.

"Is there something wrong, Zelda?"

Zelda realized her own expression and regained composure, hiding it from her father and gave a small smile. Shaking her head, she forced herself to laugh.

"Father, you never look a day older."

With this, Daphnes laughed in return. "Your flattery will do you nothing to conceal those troubled thoughts I see brewing in your eyes." Zelda internally grimaced, knowing her father had a sharp eye; if anything, she inherited it from him. He sat on a nearby bench and patted it, motioning her to join him. "What's so wrong that it caused you to break into this night chill and join your old man out here?"

Zelda dragged her feet as she joined him on the bench, sighing in response. How was she, the daughter of the King of Hyrule, to explain that everything he planned for her was going _so accordingly_ in his favor and much to her distaste? How was she to explain that he was right all along about expecting her to follow in his plan?

How could she explain that she messed up an elaborately, perfect plan just to realize that she was in love with Link all this time?

When Zelda said nothing, Daphnes looked out to the falling snow, a bittersweet look in his eyes. "Your mother hated me the first time she saw me."

Zelda looked up at him, questioning his motive for bringing it up, but she stayed silent. He continued.

"We first met in a massive social party, during the Summer Night's Festival," Daphnes began. "As you know, she was the daughter of a well-known business CEO, but she hated every part of being one; I remember her always being on her own and being away from the party, just as you and I are sitting out here right now." He laughed, and then sighed. "She was quite the proud rebel, always wanting to do things her way without the stifling formalities."

Zelda smiled. Though her mother passed when she was in early junior high, the memories of her mother's fierce and strong personality still shown in her mind. Her mother always taught her to be strong and confidence in her decisions, yet calm in the face of danger and rising leadership. She was often reserved herself, but Zelda remembered that when her mother spoke, the whole room would grow quiet, a silent respect in the voice that once ruled their kingdom.

She admired her mother and, probably in many aspects, mirrored her personality, something Zelda prided herself in.

"And it's not like she disliked her duties," Daphnes' voice broke through Zelda's thoughts. "Quite the opposite. She adored what she did, but she hated the processes when she felt people needed the help most."

She heard him sigh and he smiled a bit, recalling the memories. "I met her outside of a party on a balcony like this, and it was then I realized that she just didn't like me," he laughed, and Zelda didn't miss the twinkle in her father's eyes as he continued. "She told me I was too stiff, someone who kissed the feet of the higher ups in order to get what I want. And you know, admittedly, I probably was because I was afraid. Being a young prince, I had a lot of worry and concerns."

An odd silence followed after that and Zelda began to intake her father's words. It was so odd to hear about her father's shortcomings when now, a successful ruler of the land, had a loud and charismatic voice and was such a joy to be around in any social gathering. With a silent voice, she spoke, looking off into the same distance her father had been staring at.

"What made you change?"

She heard her father shift next to her and he sighed deeply. "In some ways, the pressure of the ruling did. I realized I needed to speak up more and I practiced how to be more assertive with work."

"In most other ways, your mother helped me."

Zelda glanced up at her father at this, and he glanced down at her. "She helped me calm down and gain a better insight of what this country needs versus the importance of formalities."

She shook her head. "Didn't you say she hated you? Though I find that hard to believe, honestly," Zelda said resolutely, knowing how much her mother ended up loving her father in the end.

He roared in laughter. "You know, it was probably my meekness that irritated her so much that she ended up proclaiming her love to me...I hate to admit, Zelda, but I wasn't the first person to come forward when courting your mother."

Zelda slightly laughed at this, knowing all too well of her mother's stubborn ways. He smiled again, recalling the memory.

"She didn't like me at first...because of my personality, but also, at the time, her own father kept implying that she get to know me, since I was the crowned prince at the time."

"She felt used, in some ways," he continued. "But when I began to show interest, she began to realize that she was seen for who she was, with no ill-intent behind my actions."

Zelda felt her father drape his arm behind her, and she felt his strong arm enclose her in familiar familial warmth that reminded her of the days before this one, when everything was in perfect order and no arguments occurred. She closed her eyes for a moment, breathing in the familiar mixed scent of spices and strong cologne, a scent that her mother picked for him years ago and still used at that moment, and suddenly, she felt her eyes tinge a bit with tears.

With one hand placed across her heart, she began to feel the nostalgia take over her. Despite all the arguments and distaste of her father forcibly writing her life story out for her, she realized he still loved her all the same and with mutual feeling, she did too. She remembered her days growing up with just her father and though some days were rougher than others, he tried his best to raise her without a mother figure in her life. Between work and herself, he often came home early, missing meetings at times, to spend time with her even throughout her high school days, and sometimes it would be with Link himself. Those days, she remembered, were the best days she had spent with both her father and Link, and all she could remember were both of their radiant smiles, and most of all, the joy that flickered across her father's eyes, despite losing the love of his life.

As she began to recall, it hit her that the joy she saw reflected in her father's eyes were nostalgic memories of himself and her mother.

A silent tear fell from her cheek, realization of her father's unconditional and sacrificing love to her life and his never-ending determination to help find a love that he once felt long ago. It may have been a selfish parent's request, she knew, but it was, in the least, someone he knew she had grown up with all her life. He could have chosen a much more wealthy man, but he did his best to meet her at a standard which she wouldn't ultimately protest.

Despite all the social gatherings she had to attend within the past two years, it dawned on her that not once did her father raise his voice towards her and forcibly meet people. They were gatherings yes, but she couldn't recall one time where he outwardly introduced her to other men; he let her wander about the party as she pleased.

Just as her mother had, all those years ago.

With a quieter voice, Daphnes brought Zelda closer to him in a side, bear-like hug, enclosing her with comfort and warmth. "Your mother didn't want to bend to her father's will of wanting to marry me."

At this statement, Zelda let the tears fall from her cheeks, free flowing as she leaned into her father's shoulder. He gently placed a kiss on top of her head in comfort and he held her tighter.

"My daughter, your will is yours to choose, and I will never be disappointed in any decision you make. I only want the best for you and I will stand by your decision no matter what it may be."

"Just know," he said leaning on her head lightly, "that mistakes can be forgiven and that it is never too late for anything."

As he leaned into the hug to comfort her, he breathed and sighed. "Your mother realized that herself and taught me that a long time ago as well."

As Zelda felt the tears flowing, she wrapped an arm across her father's chest, hugging him as much as she could and he held her tighter, humming a quiet tune. It was a tune she was familiar with, something her mother always hummed to her when she was a child and had rough days. Where it was from, she had no idea, but it had a calming, lullaby effect and it always soothed her no matter what.

They both stayed in each other's arms for a moment before Zelda raised her head and slowly sat up. She wiped her tears from her eyes and noticed her father pull out a handkerchief, which she gladly took. All the while, Daphnes continued to hum the small lullaby and only stopped when she turned to look at him, a small smile on her face.

"Thank you, father."

Daphnes smile in return and placed a light kiss on her forehead. "You better go inside before you catch a cold; you have many things to attend to right now."

As she stood up doing as she was told, she looked back down at him before going. "Aren't you going to go inside too?"

Daphnes leaned back on the bench, sighing aloud as he continued to watch the falling snow. "I will soon, sweetheart. I just want a little more time out here for awhile."

As she walked inside, she turned back for a moment to see her father completely still as he watched the snow gracefully fall before him, silent and calm. She used to wonder why her father would exit their social parties every now and then in the past; now, she began to understand why.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda.

* * *

Zelda found herself nearly running throughout the house looking for Link, but to no avail. She politely went around people, occasionally bumping into them (and accidentally knocked Navi's, a well-known scholar, drink to the ground causing more of a ruckus), and even called Link several times with her cell phone but he was nowhere to be found.

Impa noticed the frazzled princess from across the room and strode to her quickly, placing a firm grasp on Zelda's shoulder which halted her immediately in her tracks, much to her distaste.

"Impa, have you seen Link?"

Impa raised an eyebrow at Zelda. "Is that what this is about? He's-"

"I need to talk to him _immediately_ ," Zelda interrupted, her eyes scanning the room hurriedly and nearly brushing off the older woman's words before she found herself face to face with her red eyes bearing into her green ones, a stern expression in her eyes.

"Princess," she responded cooly, "I need you to listen for one moment and step out of that head of yours."

Zelda recognized the tone; it wasn't an angry one, but definitely one where she knew Impa meant business. For a moment, she straightened up and stared right back, not backing down; she prepared herself for the worst lecture, knowing all too well Impa had countless times brought her down to where she should be.

Impa gave her one more look before speaking."Right now," Impa breathed slowly, "you need to march out of that door, head high, and mind alert to look for Link."

Zelda's eyes grew wide in surprise; she half-expected a reprimand from her, with the way she was anxiously going about. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could speak, Impa shushed her with a quick finger placed on her lips, signaling her to not speak just yet. To others, it could have been rude with the way Impa treated the princess, but Zelda was used to it and either way respected Impa as a whole.

"He is...going away. And by that, I'm sure you know what that implies on his part, and what you must do right now. Do you understand?"

When Zelda nodded slowly, Impa nodded in response. She sighed and shook her head.

"Some time has been lost already, but I'm sure you can still catch him before he leaves the gates," Impa began and hurriedly continued seeing Zelda's panicked expression. "He left the party some minutes ago and Marin could barely buy enough time for you to go after him."

By this time, some of the party goers began to notice the interaction between Impa and Zelda, some with concern and confused looks on their faces. They didn't have time, Zelda noticed, and before long, she felt Impa's slender hand firmly grasp her wrist and pull her towards the front door.

"Quickly," Impa said calmly, as she opened the door and nearly pushed Zelda out the front door. "I'll buy time here with everyone else, and I need you to come back with him by your side. No negotiations, alright?"

Zelda gave a small appreciative smile towards Impa and she nodded quickly. Instead of chewing her out in front of everyone, she fully assessed the situation in Zelda's point of view, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Impa often prided herself in being discreet in her actions stemming from her Sheikah origins, and Zelda was proud that she embraced it fully.

With a a final breath, Zelda responded. "Thank you so much, Impa."

Impa sharply nodded and then looked in the direction of Link's car. "You deserve your own happiness, princess." She eyed her quickly and gave a curt nod in Link's direction. "Go!"

Without any other hesitations, Zelda ran into a sprint towards Link's car.

Or at least, where it should've been.

All the color drained from her face when she realized he had gone already, but as she looked towards the front gates, she noticed a car approaching it and realized-

At this point, Pipit had come running behind her during her sprint course and he stopped next to her, concern in his eyes.

"Zelda, what-"

She quickly turned to Pipit, remembering he had a hand radio to communicate with the guards at the gate and quickly grabbed it off his belt, mumbling a quick apology as she yelled into the device.

"GUARDS! This is Princess Zelda and I order you to close the gates from the oncoming car!"

Not the most eloquent order, she surmised, but the best she could do at that moment and she noticed from a distance the guards fumbling about to close the gate as fast as they could, some confusion in their eyes as they knew it was Link's car. Thankfully, the gates closed in record time and she breathed a sigh of relief that Link wasn't _too_ courageous today to do something as crazy as slamming on the acceleration pedal and making a break through the gates before they closed (let's just say she wouldn't put it pass him and his secret mischievous side).

Zelda ran through the snow, some of its falling powder splattering across her face as she did so, until she came to a stop just outside of Link's driver's side window. When it didn't open upon her arrival, she curtly knocked on it multiple times before Link finally opened the door. As he stood up, his arms were up in the air, as if he were getting arrested and he had a smirk on his expression.

She was so irritated she wanted to wipe it off his face clean, but she settled for crossing her arms as he closed the door behind him with a small kick from his leg.

"Alright, alright, you caught me. Do I have the honor of going to court to fight this pull over?"

A part of her couldn't stand his sarcasm, but she decided to play along anyway. "Nope, none will be heard from you."

Link frowned. "Isn't that what you call a dictatorship?"

"Not when it's from Princess Zelda herself to her childhood friend," she responded cooly.

He dropped his arms to his side and shook his head. "Harsh," he commented. With unnerving ease, he put his hands in his pockets and leaned against his car, eyeing her. "So, what's up?"

Zelda could only feel herself losing a bit of herself with the way Link was acting; too calm, too collected, and much too _observant_ of her in her frantic state. She shook her head, controlling her voice.

"What's up? WHAT'S UP, that is what you ask someone who obviously rushed to close the doors on you just now?!"

Zelda breathed. So much for controlling her voice and emotions.

He frowned. "That's why I stopped. I figured there had to be a reason."

Zelda couldn't tell if he was expertly dodging the main point of the conversation or just actually really clueless. She shook her head.

"You didn't even say goodbye."

At this, Link placed a nervous hand behind his neck, rubbing it awkwardly, a position she knew all too well as the 'slightly embarrassed but mostly guilty that you caught me' look. He eyed her again and shook his head.

"Alright, so that was my bad. I have a plane leaving first thing in the morning for a business trip-"

"Cancel it," Zelda interjected suddenly.

He quirked his eyebrow in both shock and confusion and before he could even stutter a word, she nodded at his phone. "I said cancel it. Now."

He shook his head, an almost daring move to go against the princess of Hyrule and yet he did so anyway. "Zelda, you know I can't just-"

"Because I want to spend the next day with you!"

The words came out of her mouth so fast that she found herself covering her mouth in shock at how quickly they formed on her lips. Link blinked back in surprise and when he noticed tears beginning to brim in her eyes, he froze, unsure what was going on.

He kept eye contact with her and spoke in a small, quiet voice. "...Zelda?"

Zelda found herself almost holding her breath, but when the tears began to blur her vision, she blinked them away and she finally caught air in her throat, slowly and quietly forming the words once more.

"I..." The hand that covered her mouth turned into a fist and she spoke softly, some of it coming out in murmured and quiet words.

"I want to spend the next day with you," she repeated. She lowered her hand, and began to speak as normally as she could without erupting.

"And the next week, the next month, and the next few years. I want to be by your side in your good and bad days, hear you play your harp when you're sad, see you smile when you realize you love your work, and see the pictures of all of the new places you travel to, your eyes full of wonder."

Zelda finally dared to meekly look at Link in the eyes and she couldn't tell what he was thinking; she realized her words were a lot to take in, and she honestly didn't even know what she was saying anymore. They came out like a waterfall, but with every word, she felt herself being lifted from a heavy burden, as if Hylia herself gave her the wisdom to speak the correct words at the same time.

For a moment, she recalled their car ride and her comment about being Hylia reborn and she amused herself at the thought of it maybe being true at the moment.

She breathed in and exhaled out, regaining control of her surroundings and staring at Link directly.

"...I've left you alone these past two years. I'm a horrible best friend, I know that. I've denied you of everything in my life for my own selfish goals, just for it to come full circle and change my perspective on so many things."

"I know you've travelled to get away from me," Zelda continued, the words still flowing from her mouth. "I know you still play the instruments and songs that most remind you of your childhood. But Link...I want to see where you've travelled. I want to see the things that interest you."

"And I want to be there next to you, instead of you playing my favorite songs alone to yourself."

She breathed a sigh, but as she did so, a tear escaped her eye and she cursed herself for letting her emotions suddenly get the best of her at that moment. She quickly wiped it off her cheek, now rosy red from the cold (or from her embarrassment of speaking her emotions loudly in front of him, and to top it of, in front of the guards who were witnessing the whole thing).

Zelda looked down and she folded her hands together, feeling shameful. "..But I know I've been horrible. I would understand fully if you were to disregard my words and leave through the gate right now...I wouldn't stop you."

In a shaky and airy voice, she exhaled. "I'm so sorry for everything I've done, Link."

In the moments that followed, silence filled the space between them and the snow continued to fall softly all around them. The guards at the gate shifted uncomfortably, unsure what to do at that moment and highly debating if they needed to turn their eyes away from the scene or be ready to jump Link should he completely disregard the princess and run away. Pipit also witnessed the scene unfold in front of him, knowing that it was highly inappropriate for him to be away from his post near the front door, but he couldn't help but feel concern for his two friends as they spoke.

Zelda began to fidget her hands, and just when she felt she couldn't handle the silence anymore and was about to walk away, she heard him finally shift and take a few steps. She couldn't tell if it was away or towards her; her ears were ringing loudly with her pulsing blood and adrenaline rush and she nearly felt faint from it all, but felt twice more faint when she realized Link walked to her and stood before her, a few inches of space between them.

She could hear him open his mouth with no words forming until he audibly swallowed in a nervous state; despite it all, she could still hear him smiling as he spoke.

"Well, that wouldn't look too good on me for the company if I were to drive away now, would it?"

Zelda slowly lifted her head up, realizing that they were very close in proximity and her heart quickened a bit more as she realized he was smiling down at her, a twinkle in his eyes.

She swallowed. "What do you mean-"

"Cancelled," Link immediately said, pulling out his phone from his pocket and showing it to her, indicating that he emailed someone from his work at one point (before this or during this, she had no way of knowing). "And no one can quite deny my request when I specifically said it was an order from the princess herself now, can they?"

"But, Link-"

"Nah-ah," he said cooly, shushing her quickly with a light tap of his finger to her lips. "Your orders. And besides," he continued, smiling a bit more, "I need some time to start planning our dates in the future weeks and months. Though," he looked contemplative, "I think we should start with days, first."

His implication immediately had her flush red as she realized that her words must have sounded like an outright, unintentional _proposal_. She held her face in her hands and shook her head furiously, realizing her mistake and he laughed a bit in obvious understanding.

"That's not-I mean, that's too soon-"

He laughed even more as she tried to correct herself. Gently, he pulled Zelda's hands away from her face causing her to look at him, a soft smile on his face.

"I know, I know. Though when the time comes, I think it should be my job to do it this time, since you took the honors this time around. In fact, you beat me to it."

His words were a heavier impact than she thought he actually knew; she didn't miss the part that he actually said 'when' versus 'if'.

The whole situation was taking off so fast that she found herself a little dazed until she realized that something weighed heavy on her neck. Looking down, she realized that he had placed a necklace around her; its pendant was in the shape of a heart with intricate gold outlining encasing a red jewel. As she eyed it, she realized it was very much a real jewel and the thought of how much it probably cost him made her shiver a bit, and she felt her guilt come back with a new wave.

"Link, I've been terrible. I can't possibly-"

"Hey."

His interruption was so silent and abrupt that it caused her to falter and stay silent, eyeing him curiously.

"You were never terrible to me. I was just a coward who couldn't face his own feelings," he began, laughing nervously. "But now, at this moment, I almost regretted not being able to give you this."

"Something pushed me forward," Link continued. "I..." he trailed off, and she could see him struggling with his words, his expression getting more flustered by the second. Finally, he sighed and he merely looked down at her with a serious look in his eyes.

"I'm...terrible at speaking, you know this," he awkwardly began. "So I'll simply tell you this."

He lightly took one of Zelda's hands, lightly grazing his over hers and he glanced at the necklace quickly before looking into her eyes. "Zelda, my heart is yours."

Her mouth slightly parted open in shock and for a moment, he could see guilt and disbelief still crossing her eyes. With a smile still on his face but with a furrowed brow he lightly laughed.

"You don't believe me."

Zelda shook herself out of her daze and she shook her head. "I just-I thought you were running away just now and I'm so confused-"

"I was, admittedly," Link admitted. "But as soon as I came out of my car, as soon as you came running, I told you; I suddenly felt like I had the courage to tell you." He grinned. "Maybe I am the reincarnation of the Hero, imagine that; I'm so drawn to you, no matter what I do."

If it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation, Zelda would have found herself rolling her eyes, but she still just stared at him in shock, still speechless. Link just shook his head and gently, he placed his left hand on her cheek, tilting her head upwards towards him.

And all too suddenly, she felt him close the gap between the both of them, his lips closing over hers. His lips were cold from the snow, she realized, but she could feel his breath as warm as the heart she knew he was pouring out for her, despite his jumbled words.

Before she knew it, he had pulled away, much to her surprising distaste as she realized she wanted more of him, more than she had realized before. He smiled a bit when he saw the spark return to her eyes.

"Sometimes courage has its weird way of pushing me to situations like these."

It was those words alone that was enough for Zelda to snap out of her reverie and she smiled back. Despite her shortcomings, her mistakes, her shame, he somehow still accepted her and she found everything almost too overwhelmingly good to be true.

But with his hand still on her cheek, the way he looked down at her lovingly, and the necklace weighing heavy with his emotions she felt, she realized that he'd been waiting almost a lifetime to tell her this. How long he had waited to tell her and how long she had known this truth was astonishing in her mind. Wisdom and courage somehow danced around them fleetingly and unknowingly through them in an odd and beautiful way.

She reached up and wrapped her arms behind his neck, laughing. "You're actually really bold, you know that?"

He smiled in return, placing his free hand now to her waist and bringing her closer to him. "And you're too sharp in your mind, which I know you know already."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever." With that, she closed the gap between the both of them this time, Link pulling her closer and deepening the kiss.

 _Courage indeed_ , Zelda thought to herself when she realized he made the first move to go past a simple peck on the lips.

A slight cough was what finally allowed them to slowly pull apart and looking in that direction, she saw a red-faced Pipit, but his expression was glowing with approval from what had happened. The two guards at the gate were nearly ecstatic themselves, obviously in favor of Link and overjoyed that their princess _finally_ realized her denial all along.

Zelda realized that the three of them had been witnesses to their confession and, well, basically their first two kisses and the thought of it embarrassed her so as she began to bury her face into Link's shoulder. She heard him laugh as it reverberated in his chest and she couldn't help but smile as she realized where she needed to be all this time: in his arms.

"This is going to be quite the story, isn't it?" Link asked Zelda, his face flushed red as well as he saw Pipit in the distance grinning at him ear to ear.

She laughed in response, and wordlessly embraced him more to which he reciprocated. Zelda turned her head to glance at her house behind her and, though a little farther off in the distance, she could make out a figure in the window of the second story which she undoubtedly knew was her father. She grinned, knowing that he, too, was happy and she thanked him at the bottom of her heart.

Suddenly, Midna's words crossed her mind and she laughed aloud, wondering if she knew all along.

 _You'll be a changed woman after this._

* * *

Thanks so much for reading, all, and happy holidays!

Debating on whether or not I want to expand on this modern AU-verse with other one-shots, but I shall see!


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